


The Epic Tale of Steven Grant Rogers Valiant Rescue of Sergeant Fluffy

by myladyrainicorn (coffeestains)



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Childhood Memories, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Pirates, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3440714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeestains/pseuds/myladyrainicorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two boys from Brooklyn and their trusted kitten, Sergeant Fluffy, explore a world filled with pirates, treasure, bullies and ice cold water.<br/>Sarah Rogers doesn't really think that the adventure was as good an idea as Steve and Bucky thought it was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Epic Tale of Steven Grant Rogers Valiant Rescue of Sergeant Fluffy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Linna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linna/gifts).



> This is my first fic and it was written as a birthday present to my wonderful almost-sister Lynn. English isn't my first language and so if I've made any mistakes (or mixed up american and english spelling or something) I'm sorry.  
> Come find me on tumblr and cry about Steve and Bucky with me @ myladyrainicorn.tumblr.com

James Buchanan Barnes was six years old and the world seemed at least as big as his name. Bigger even. And just as impossible living up to. He figured he'd just have to take it one step at a time. This was how he found himself looking into the prettiest blue eyes he'd ever seen in his life. They were bright and curious and just about the bluest blue he’d ever seen. Deciding then and there that blue was his favourite color in the whole wide world he tried to inspect the small kitten attached to the aforementioned eyes. It looked dirty and miserable but at least it didn't seem to be bleeding. Now if he could just get it out of the scraps of wire cluttering up the backend of the alley...

"Hey there kitty, I'm not gonna hurt ya. Honest. I'm James. Only no one ever calls me that except my ma when I've done something I shouldn't.."  
He scooted closer to to the debris "I'm Bucky an' I'll take care of ya now."  
Sticking his fingers carefully in through the wires, only cutting himself a bit, he tried coaxing it free as gently as he could. Thankfully six year old fingers are small and nimble and soon the kitten was free to mewl pathetically against Buckys hand. He could feel it trembling, it's tiny heart beating away like a drum inside it's chest. He was making soothing noises and petting it carefully when a voice interrupted them from behind his shoulder.

"Oh wow is that a kitten?"

Bucky turned around slowly as to not startle the small ball of furr cradled in his arms and regarded the boy in front of him suspiciously. He was around the same age as Bucky but considerably smaller, he almost looked like he was drowning in the jacket he'd wrapped around himself. Most of the boy was obscured by the bulky clothes but Bucky could see a tuft of blond hair sticking out from under a cap and a pale face staring in wonder at the kitten. He held it closer to his chest and the kitten thanked him by biting his thumb making him drop it to the pavement and let out a yelp. The kitten glared at him and started cleaning it's fur.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya, I just never seen a kitten up close before. Is he yours? Hey, I’m Steve by the way!" The boy, Steve, held out his hand towards Bucky, who took it. The hand felt small but strong in his, and warmer than he expected. He must have been walking with his hands stuck in under that monstrosity of a coat.

"Hi, I’m Bucky, an' I wasn't scared, you just startled me is all." He didn't know why it felt important to make the distinction. "Umm.." He continued "I found him stuck in the wires only I think he's a she..." Bucky blushed a bit and Steve must have followed his eyes down towards where the kitten was now lying on its back cleaning itself thoroughly, and if the boys knew their own anatomy, very clearly not male, because he gave a little laugh and said "I think you're right. Wait, she was stuck in the wires? Is she okay?"

Steve seemed worried.

"Nah, she’s not bleeding or nothing so I think she's okay. Just a bit dirty is all. An' I don't know who owns her, I just found her here." Bucky trailed of, depressed by the thought of someone else owning the kitten he'd already started thinking of as his own. He looked back up towards Steve and gave a little shrug, trying to look like he didn't really care. Steve looked thoughtful.

"I reckon that if you saved her and no one else is here she's yours, don't you?"

Bucky looked hopeful "Yeah? I mean yeah" he felt a tingle in his belly at the thought "I reckon she is!" He stretched out his hand and scratched the kitten who relaxed into his hand and started purring softly. He glanced back up at Steve who seemed transfixed by the purring noises coming from the furry heap of limbs, his eyes bright and an awed look on his face. Bucky felt a sudden need to keep him smiling so he said "You can pet her if you like, I don't mind"

At his words the smaller boy looked up and the excited smile that spread across his whole face made Bucky unreasonably proud of the fact that he put it there.

"Can I? Honest?"

"Yeah, 'course."

As another hand came down to stroke the kitten it looked up and gave it a small lick before closing its eyes content and happy with all the attention it was getting. For a moment they just sat there, crouched down in the alley, petting the kitten and listening to it purr. Then Bucky was struck by a sudden thought "Hey, I don't know what she's called, I mean, if she has a name at all.." he made a thoughtful sound "I think we should name her."

"We?" Steve seemed surprised.

"Oh, well yeah, if you wanna.. I mean if you don't have to go anywhere or something." He didn't want the other boy to go now, a treasure is always better when you have someone to share it with. "What do you think?"

"Nah, my ma's at work an' Mrs Stanton, that's my teacher, she's home sick so I don't got nothing to go to. But you saved her, I think you oughta’ name her."

Bucky shone up “Sergeant Fluffy!” he looked a bit embarrassed “I mean, on account of her being so brave with the wires and everything and.. well.. fluffy?” He ended the sentence red in the face, certain that his new friend would laugh at him and stop being his new friend altogether.

“Sergeant Fluffy?” Steve mused “Oh yeah, that’s clever. Because you get to be sergeant by doing brave things right so it’s sort of like a medal?” he looked down at the kitten and scratched it under the chin and continued “She sure is both brave and fluffy. Hello Sergeant Fluffy, I’m Steve Rogers, pleased to meet ya!” He gave the cat a brilliant smile and it yawned big in response, showing of it’s pink tongue and small sharp teeth.

“Hah, I think that’s ‘cat’ for ‘pleased to meet you’” Bucky laughed, his embarrassment forgotten. Steve laughed in return and soon they were deep in a conversation about the particularities of the language ‘cat’. The small alley filled with the sound of boyish laughter and quick talk.

At a pause in the their conversation Steve gave the kitten a thoughtful scratch.

“I wonder what she was doing..?”

“Maybe she was running from something bad?” Bucky suggested.

“Yeah! Maybe she had something someone wanted so she had to run away… Like..” his face scrunched up in thought “Like a treasure map!” he exclaimed.

“A treasure map?” Bucky didn’t really follow how a kitten could run of with a whole map, but Steve seemed excited and was rummaging through his pockets so it was probably going to be something good.

“Yeah! Look I’ve got this nifty comic where there’s all sorts of treasures an’ pirates an’ ships an’ everything and it makes real sense too because the pirates always had something like a parrot or something an’ I reckon a kitten would work just as well don’t you?”

They both turned to look down at the kitten with a new sense of wonder, it was taking the moment to lick it’s nethers thoroughly and Bucky thought it didn’t really seem to appreciate the significance of the situation.

“Hey Bucky?” Steve was looking at him with a thoughtful expression “If she is a pirate’s kitten with a treasure map on the run from bad people don’t ya think we should help her?”

Bucky was uncertain “How d’ya mean?”

“Well… She probably needs to get to her ship, and away from the bad people, right?”

“Right...”

“Well. We should escort her! Make sure she gets there safe an’ everything. Hey! Maybe we’re pirates too, I mean why else would we find her? We should go down to the docks and get her back to her ship and get the treasure!”

As he was talking he had been making big gestures and gradually started to move up and so now he was standing up almost trembling with excitement looking at Bucky hopefully. Bucky knew this was the kind of idea that could land them in a big heap of trouble. He knew that he wasn’t allowed to go to the docks and that if his parents found out they’d give him a good boxing but he also knew that he wasn’t about to disappoint Steve. He didn’t know what it was about him, it was just some kind of incontestable pull, some kind of impulse to go along with whatever crazy adventure he’d lead Bucky into.

It was exhilarating.

 

***

 

While they were walking through the streets of Brooklyn they planned out the game they were going to play. They were pirates, but the good kind, Steve had been worried about that part but Bucky had a book about Robin Hood, and as he’d explained it to him Steve had shone up “Yeah! We’re Robin Hood pirates! We steal from them that’s got to much and give to folks who don’t got nothing. It’s perfect Bucky!”

Bucky had blushed from the praise but the spring air was brisk and they were both red cheeked from excitement so no one could tell that he had. When they had gotten down to the docks, making sure to keep out of the way of the workers, Bucky saw a boat that seemed empty and so with hearts pounding in their ears the two small boys and their brave kitten snuck aboard their pirate ship.

 

 

***

 

“Hey! You ain’t supposed to be up there!”

The yell jerked them out of their game and it actually took Bucky a couple of seconds to adjust to the real world around him. He felt like he’d really been there, out at sea with his fellow pirate (neither of them was captain, it wouldn’t be fair) and their trusty Sergeant, hoisting sails and searching for treasure and all of those things Steve had read in that comic of his.

“Are ya slow or something? You ain’t supposed to be there!” Bucky located where the sound was coming from and saw three boys standing down on the docks. They must have been at least eleven years old and they didn’t look very nice.

“If ya don’t come down we’re gonna tell the captain that you’re vandalising his property” the older boy said the last part of the sentence like he was quoting someone. Bucky and Steve looked at each other, neither of them wanting the game to end but not having a lot to put up against the ‘I’m telling’-threat. Not when they weren’t really supposed to be there to start with. Bucky sighed. “We’re coming down, hold your horses!” he yelled in response, and climbed down onto the docks holding his hands up for Steve to hand him Sergeant Fluffy.

“What have you got there?” one of the boys asked suspiciously.

“That’s none of your business.” Bucky said “We’re leaving okay?”

Steve handed him the kitten and climbed down after him, he caught it and held it close to his chest, stroking it protectively.

“Ya know, ya oughta’ give us that cat. We’d really appreciate it if ya did.” the boy didn’t look so much as if he’d appreciate a favor as he would dislike not being obeyed.

Steve’s voice was resolute “Well she’s not yours so you’re not gonna have her”.

“Yeah? What ya gonna do about it punk?” the older boys laughed disdainfully “Just give us the mouser an’ dry up!”

“No.”

Bucky looked around trying to see if there was anywhere they could run off before the others caught up with them but there wasn’t. They were standing with their backs towards the water and the boats, the older boys effectively blocking any route they could take out of there. His mind was spinning but the situation seemed impossible, feeling tears prickle behind his eyes he looked toward Steve. Steve wasn’t looking at him though. His eyes were firmly locked on the bigger kids, his shoulders squared and jaw set. No, he couldn’t be thinking of putting up a fight… Could he?

“Then I guess we’ll just have to take it from ya” one of the boys made a move as to grab the kitten out of Bucky’s arms but before he had time to react Steve was in between them with his fists raised. He really was planning to put up a fight. Bucky was both impressed and scared.

“I said no.”

“Yeah? Well I said yes so buzz off kid!” He threw a punch aimed at Steve’s head but it was no longer there so he ended up punching the air. Steve’s fist, on the other hand, connected with the bully’s stomach with a thud and elicited a snarl of pain and anger. Bucky was getting really worried now, and he was trying to see if there were some grown ups around that could help. Getting in trouble for being on a boat they shouldn’t have been on didn’t really compare to having his new best friend beaten into a pulp. He let out a yelp “Hey! We’re here!” just as Steve got an elbow in the nose and blood started pouring out. A short scuffle and the three boys picked Steve up and threw him in the water. They were moving in on Bucky but at that moment two men ran around the corner asking what was going on and the bullies bolted fast as they could. Bucky’s mind was at an halt. Steve was in the water. He shoved Sergeant Fluffy at one of the men and, ignoring their shouts and questions, he jumped.

 

***

 

Sarah Rogers she had a bad feeling in her gut when she got called to the reception and it wasn’t relieved in the least by the message that her boys were bleeding and wet at the docks and waiting for her to pick them up. The plural confused her, but not enough to slow her down as she ran to get her bike and pedaled as fast as her legs would take her.

 

***

 

When Steve’s ma, Sarah Rogers, Steve had managed to tell him between shivers, finally showed up Bucky had gone from being scared of what she would say (and what she would tell his parents) to being scared that something was really wrong with Steve. He was as cold as could be, but the particular shade of pale that Steve had developed, especially in combination with the bright bluish purple of his lips, did not seem healthy even to Buckys untrained eye. He also seemed to be developing a magnificent black eye and there was a bit of blood running sluggishly from his nose.

Mrs Rogers unceremoniously got of the bike and let it drop to the ground and kneeled down in front of where Steve and Bucky were sitting pressed close together with one of the working men’s big coats over their shoulders for heat.

“Are you alright?” she asked in a worried voice while her arms tried to rub some heat into both of their bodies.

“I’m okay ma, I’m really sorry I made you miss work. I tried to tell ‘em that we could’a walked home ourselves but they wouldn’t listen.”

The thing Bucky found most interesting about that sentence was the fact the the other boy really seemed to believe that he could have made it home on his own. Bucky wasn’t one to back down from a challenge (obviously) but he had serious doubts that he’d make it, so how would Steve, who was bruised and bleeding on top of cold and wet.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by Mrs Rogers huffing “Reckless boy, you could catch your death. What am I supposed to do with you?” Steve hung his head and was about to respond but she’d turned towards the men that stood a little bit away watching the scene “I’m sorry, I’m so grateful you called me. I’ll take care of them from here. Did they make a mess of anything?”

She looked back down at Steve “Actually, you have the number to the hospital where I work, please call me if there’s anything I need to reimburse, I need to get them home and into a hot bath.”

“Don’t worry about it mam,” one of the dockworkers said “they didn’t destroy anything, just seemed like a fight gone out of hand. It was good of you to come so quick.” Mrs Rogers smiled thankfully and turned to Bucky who suddenly felt very aware that her arms were wrapped around him too.

“I’m guessing you’re a friend of Steve’s?” she asked him.

“Umm, yes mam. I’m James Barnes and I’m real sorry about all of this.” he was going to apologize more but she interrupted him saying “Later. Let’s get you boys warm and clean first.”

She guided them up with sure hands and gave the jacket back with a grateful word, Bucky shivered in the sudden cold wind and glanced at Steve. He looked about as miserable and guilty as Bucky was feeling.

“Do you think you can sit behind me and hold on around my waist while I take us home James? Then I can have Steve in front of me..” Mrs Rogers looked worried but Bucky nodded enthusiastically so she lifted him up on the bike and then hustled a protesting Steve up in her arms and sat down on the saddle. Bucky tucked the kitten into his jacket and cautiously put his arms around her.

“Everyone good?” she asked.

“I’m good” Bucky said and he heard Steve mumble something that sounded like a protest but he saw the smaller boy relax against his mother’s body and felt a wave of gratefulness for the fact that they were going somewhere warm.

 

***

 

The ride back to Steve’s was a bit of a blur and when they got there Mrs Rogers put the bike away and bustled them up into the apartment. It was wonderfully warm and smelled faintly, but not unpleasantly of antiseptic. If he wasn’t so cold and wet Bucky would have loved to have a look around. As it was he was glad for Mrs Rogers busy hands that rushed them out of their wet clothes and into big woolly blankets that she got from a bed in the corner of the room. He had a feeling he should be more self conscious about being undressed by a woman he’d just met in front of a boy he’d only known for a couple of hours but he couldn’t seem to make himself care. There was something about Sarah Rogers that just made Bucky trust her instinctively. It was the same kind of pull that he felt when Steve suggested they should make-believe they were pirates by the docks, but where that impulse had felt exhilarating and heady the one from his mother felt safe. Felt like home. Which was silly, Bucky knew, he had a home, and he didn’t know Mrs Rogers, but a feeling was a feeling and Bucky wasn’t the kind of guy to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sergeant Fluffy had taken her chance as soon as they’d gotten in through the door and was now lying curled up in an armchair cleaning herself. Mrs Rogers was busy at the stove boiling up water to draw them a bath and Steve was trying to explain what had happened. Trying being the operative word as he kept being interrupted by coughing fits.

“An’ they were trying to take Sergeant Fluffy ma! I couldn’t let them do that” a deep cough “an’ you told me stealing was wrong so what was I supposed to do? It’s more like kidnapping anyway and that’s real bad. Right Bucky?”

“Sergeant Fluffy?” Mrs Rogers asked with a long-suffering sigh.

“It’s my kitten Mrs Rogers” Bucky answered helpfully “She’s lying over there, see?”

“Umm..” he continued “I’m really sorry if I got Steve into any trouble mam. And thank you for the blankets and everything. I swear we really didn’t plan any of this..” he trailed off, not knowing what he could possibly say to make the situation better.

“Thank you James but I know my son well enough to know he gets in trouble just fine all on his own.” She put her hands on her hips.

“Okay, Steve, James, you better take it all the way from the top and explain it to me. Come here, the bath is ready. Lets get you boys warmed up again while you talk.”

 

***

 

So it was that Bucky and Steve sat squished together in the small basin in the kitchen and told Sarah Rogers all about Bucky finding the kitten and Steve finding them all the way up to when Bucky had jumped in and dragged Steve out of the water. When they got to that last part, Mrs Rogers got very quiet. Bucky squirmed a bit in the warm water under her gaze but she didn’t look like she was going to scold him. He couldn’t really place the look on her face.

“That was really stupid of you. There were grownups right there that could have done that.”

“Yes mam” Bucky hung his head. Somehow he felt like he’d rather have taken a scolding than this. “I’m sorry”

“Very stupid.” she sighed “and very brave. Thank you for saving my son James.”

Bucky didn’t know what to say, whatever he’d been expecting this wasn’t it.

“Call me Bucky” he settled for “no one ever really calls me James.”

“Bucky then” she said “thank you.”

She took a deep breath. “How are you boys feeling? Steve, how’s your breathing?”

When they’d both answered and let her examine them to see that they were really okay she went over to a drawer and picked out two sets of clothes and put them on the bed. Then she came over with towels and rubbed them dry and gave them each a big hug. When they were both dressed (Bucky tried to protest that he could just as well wear his own clothes, but to no avail) and seated on the bed she pulled out a chair and sat down opposite them.

Then she told them exactly how stupid they had been. And how worried they had made her. And how lucky they were that the nice men had been there and that they had called her and that she had even had an opportunity to leave work to come get them. Then she forbade them playing at the docks and they both crossed their hearts and swore never to do it again.

“I’m sorry ma” Steve admitted shamefaced “I’m real sorry for making you sad. I won’t do it again, honest!”

At that Mrs Rogers actually barked out a small watery laugh that made both Steve and Bucky look at her in confusion.

“Yes you will my darling. And I am so proud of you. And so cross with you.” She wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye.

“Oh my sunshine boy, what would I ever do without you?”

 

***

 

Bucky was reassured that he could keep the clothes and return them the next time he came to visit, a prospect he was more than thrilled about, and that Mrs Rogers wouldn’t tell his folks the worst parts of the story. But she was keen to meet them. He assured her that he could walk back home on his own, it was only a couple of blocks away, and then she gave him a big hug and went to busy herself in the kitchen to let the boys say goodbye.

All of a sudden Bucky didn’t know what to say, but then a thought struck him and he wanted to cry all over again. “My folks don’t allow pets, what am I gonna do about Sergeant Fluffy?”

“Oh no” Steve looked crestfallen but then he shone up “Hey ma? Can we take care of Sergeant Fluffy? Bucky’s not allowed to have a kitten and we don’t want to throw her out on the street. She’s just a baby!”

Mrs Rogers gave a resigned laugh and a big sigh “Sure boys. But..!” she continued before they could say anything “..but in that case you have to take care of it. I don’t have time to feed it and look after it so it’s going to be up to you then. Okay?”

Steve ran over to her promising to do just that and more hugging and kissing her until she laughed and cried uncle. She planted a big kiss on his head and went back to what she had been doing.

“See?” Steve said excitedly “I’ll take care of her! An’ you can come visit anytime you like an’ play with her an’ everything!”

This seemed to Bucky as the best possible solution as he not only would get to keep Sergeant Fluffy but he’d also have a reason to go visit Steve as often as he wanted. Impulsively he pulled the smaller boy into a tight hug.

“Bye Steve! Bye Sergeant Fluffy! Thank you so much for taking care of him!”

“I want to! Bye Bucky! I’ll see ya soon okay?” Steve’s eyes shone with happiness and something else he couldn’t really put his finger on. “I’m glad I met ya!”

 

Bucky had been right, blue really was his favourite color in the whole wide world.

 

 


End file.
